Please Stay
by Sev's Little girl
Summary: At the end of fourth year, Severus Snape noticed a change in Harry's behavior and is determined to find out the cause,and what he discovers will change everything
1. headmasters input

: I don't own Harry Potter.

XXX

Harry felt the stinging sensation of tears in his eyes as he examined the floor in front of the Headmaster's desk. He was in utter disbelief at what he heard, especially after what had transpired just a few weeks before. However, he knew he should have expected this answer, considering it was the same answer he received every year.

"I am deeply sorry, Harry. But you can not stay here over the summer." Harry heard Dumbledore said again as if making sure that the boy had heard him. "Besides it's much safer for you at your Aunt and Uncle's house anyway."

"Yes Sir." Harry mumbled softly as he attempted to keep his tears at bay, but as the seconds tick by he began to feel the moister run down his pale cheeks.

"Good." Dumbledore spoke up, his voice full of cheer. "Now may I suggest that you go finish packing? You don't want to miss the train now do you?"

"No Sir." Harry mumbled in a broken voice as the tears really began to fall, but he kept his head down, not wishing to show the headmaster that he was crying. Taking that as his dismissal, Harry slowly turned around and walked numbly out of the office and back up to his dorm. Time seemed to crawl by as Harry climbed up the stairs, and with every step, he took his body shook with sobs he was no longer able to contain.

"For once in my life, I wish someone would just stop and noticed something is wrong with me." Harry mumbled to himself as he gained control and wiped away his tears as he reached the seventh floor. "But I guess that's too much to ask." Harry sighed deeply when he stopped at the portrait and whispered the password before entering and disappearing from view, from the sight of the man that had been observing him from a distance all day.

Xxx

There was something about Harry Potter's behavior that began to worry Severus Snape as he made his back down the staircase. It wasn't unusual for the boy to go off alone, but for the brave Gryffindor to break down into tears and then practically say to himself that no one cares was unnerving.

'_Surely the brat just wants pity'_ Severus though to himself as he tried to explain the boy's actions. _'He's just upset because he's not the center of attention that's all.' _However, after several moments of trying to explain the boy's actions, Severus concluded that whatever plagued the boy was not connected to the tournament, but with his own personal life. Gradually, the worried feeling Severus had pushed away from his chest moments ago was sinking back in again. And, much to the man's dismay, there was only one way to get rid of it. Nevertheless, he was going to need proof before he could do anything, before he could finally rid himself of the worried feeling.

XXX

Author's notes: Yes, I am writing another story, this was a request by KooKooKarli and as it progresses, I hope it will become the fanfic that was asked for. Reviews are more than welcome,


	2. Harry's pleas

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

XXX

Moving appeared to be an impossible task as Harry attempted to push himself off of the floor. He really hadn't expected the violence to be this bad this early into the Summer holidays, but things had changed, and the change was not in favor of Harry. Instead it gave the Dursleys another reason to neglect him, to hurt him and they wasted no time at all. In fact they where more than happy to show how much they disliked him when they picked him up from the train station two weeks ago. Specifically when Vernon had no problem slapping him across the face in front of a good portion of the people Harry knew. But what terrified the boy-who-lived the most was the lack of action his friends took when they saw what occurred. Crushing any and all hope that maybe someone, anyone, would save him from the horror he always endured at the end of every year.

"It's just too much to ask for." Harry moaned out, as another wave of pain wracked his body as he fell back against the floor. It now seemed that attempting to sit up, let alone stand up was out of the question. And as

the summer wore on, Harry knew that it moving around was going to be nothing more than a dream. "Then again, I will be nothing more than a dream." Harry whispered into thin air as that crossed his mind. He knew he couldn't last all summer like this, and he seriously doubted he would make it to his fifteenth birthday that occurred in less than two weeks. However, the boy-who-lived, would be content with living to see another day; another day brought some sort of hope that maybe he would be rescued, though he

certainly doubted it.

To Harry the hours passed by to quickly, and before he knew it, the sound of footsteps could be heard as his relatives awoke to begin another day. As the sounds of movement ceased, Harry hoped that they had forgotten him, but a few moments later the all to familiar sound of someone pounding on his fragile door married his ears.

"GET UP BOY!" The all to familiar voice of Aunt Petunia shrieked. " YOU HAVE CHORES TO DO AND BREAKFAST TO MAKE AND IF YOU WISH TO EAT I SUGGEST YOU HURRY."

"Yes Aunt Petunia." Harry replied quietly as he heard the sound of retreating footsteps. After several seconds, the boy-who-lived gave sitting up another attempt, he had to try to stand and make it down stair, he had to at least make breakfast, he had to eat something, he had to avoid another vicious beating.

*hp*

Severus Snape could do nothing but sigh in frustration as he leaned back into his black leather chair in his office. The worried feeling he had obtained a few weeks before had grown immensely, and since the beginning of summer, he couldn't help but sense there was something horribly wrong at Harry Potter's residence. Nevertheless, he was in the same position as before: he had no evidence to prove that The boy-who-lived had problems in his home and personal life. But the overpowering sense of dread and lack of evidence was not he reason the Potion's Master was frustrated, that was the Headmaster's fault. lately, the older wizard had been dismissing The Golden Boy's behavior because of the outcome of the tournament and whenever he, Severus, brought up the notion that Harry was being abused by he relatives, Albus just shot down the idea with a wave of his hand, as if the notion was impossible. But deep down, Severus knew that the notion was not impossible, he had seen to many cases of abuse coming from many types of homes and families for it to be impossible, even for the Boy-who-lived. After a few deep breaths, Severus pinched the bridge of his nose before acknowledging the fact that there was no easy solution that would rid himself of the building feeling he had.

*hp*

Harry had no idea how he managed to pick himself off the floor and make his way down stairs to begin his daily chores. He couldn't deny that every movement he made wracked his body with intense pain, but he knew he had to do it. He had to avoid another beating because if it was just as bad as the one from last night, he doubted he would survive. Harry surprised himself as he manage to get through cooking breakfast and doing the morning dishes with out collapsing into a heap on the floor, even though that's what his battered body really wanted to do. However, as soon as his uncle left for work, he suddenly felt his legs go weak before they collapsed from beneath him causing the battered boy to fall to the floor with a crash, jarring his already painful injuries and causing some of the newer lacerations to open.

"MUM." Harry heard Dudley call from the doorway, much to the abused boys horror. " THE FREAKS GETTING HIS BLOOD ALL OVER THE KITCHEN FLOOR!."  
>"NO, Dudley please." Harry begged to his cousin as he began to call for his mother again. "Please Dudley, Please don't, just give me a minute I'll clean it up a promise." But nothing the hurt boy said detoured his cousins attempts at grabbing attention to the fact that Harry wasn't doing what he could have been doing despite the fact he could barley move.<p>

"Seems like Mums busy." Dudley replied as he moved into his cousins line of view. "Oh well, I'll just have to wait until dad gets home to tell him"  
>"Please don't Dudley." Harry continued to beg as he found away to get to his feet, his clothes soaked in blood from the slow leaking wounds the fall had re opened. "He'll kill me if he finds out."<br>"That's the idea, besides no one cares about a freak like you anyway" Dudley smirked at his cousin's pathetic sight and walked away leaving Harry to clean up the mess the fall had created.

A's notes: I know its been awhile since I have updated but I've been busy with homework , but I promise to update a bit faster once I get back into the swing of things.


	3. Save Me

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

AN: Dedicated to KooKooKarli

*HP*

Harry's attempts at keeping the tears at bay failed once again as he began to clean up the mess he had made. Everything he had been hoping for had been crushed as those words left Dudley's mouth. He knew his relatives hated him, but he had never really expected them to kill him, especially not this early in the summer holidays. Then again the lack of a response the slap that Harry received in public got was nothing but approval in Vernon's eyes.

"They'll probably celebrate my death." Harry mumbled as tears began to fall onto the floor, mixing with the blood he was attempting to mop up. "Everyone will be ecstatic that they won't have to worry about how much of a burden I am once I'm gone."

Time moved incredibly fast as Harry proceeded with his chores to the best of his abilities. As the clock drew nearer to five p.m. Harry's heart began to pound furiously against his ribs, causing his already achy chest to hurt even more. "But that's not the only thing that's going to hurt later." Harry mumbled again as he glanced up at the clock in the kitchen. It was ten till five; he had ten minutes until his uncle got home, most likely the last ten minutes of his very short and very painful life.

*SS*

Something seemed off in Severus's mind as he reread his notes on a potion he was experimenting with. No matter what he did, he just couldn't shake the feeling that something horrendous was going to happen. After half an hour of failed concentration, the potion's master cleared out the ruined concoction and fell ungraciously into his favorite black leather chair.

The feelings of dread and worry that had plagued him since the end of term seemed stronger at that moment than ever before, and that made him begin to wonder if there was indeed something wrong with Potter. He briefly contemplated whether or not he should check up on the boy before quickly ridding himself of the ridiculous notion.

Slowly Severus pushed himself away from the chair and headed upstairs to his study where he could hopefully contact the headmaster. Despite the absurdity of it all he wanted to make sure someone had checked up on Potter and that the boy was perfectly fine. He just needed to make sure that the nagging feeling in his chest was only a feeling, and hopefully nothing more.

*HP*

Harry's heart plummeted into his stomach as he heard a car pull into the driveway. Vernon was home, he was out of time, out of luck, and there was nothing he could do about it. With every crunching footstep, Harry's heart seemed to beat faster than before and if it pounded any harder it'd surely come right out of his chest. But all too soon, the pounding in his chest stopped dead as the sound of the front door opening could be heard.

"Hello Dad." Dudley's voice rang from the hallway as the front door shut with a snap. "Have a nice day at work?"

"It was fine, made another deal with some foreign country in France," Vernon's voice replied happily. A happiness that Harry was sure his cousin was about to shatter. "How was everything at home today?" Harry froze as soon as his uncle posed that question. It was that very moment that Dudley had been waiting for ever Harry had first fallen that morning.

"Well everything was going great until the freak got his blood all over Mum's clean kitchen." Dudley said, glee evident in his tone as fear grasped Harry's body at the sound of his uncle's briefcase falling to the floor and the rush of angry footsteps approaching the kitchen where he stood. Seconds later the kitchen door flew open violently, revealing a very angry and very purple, Uncle Vernon.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR AUNT'S BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN?" Vernon roared causing Harry to shake.

"I got some blood on the floor. . ." Harry began softly.

"YOU TAINTED IT YOU FREAK!" Vernon spat as he slapped Harry with such force the brittle boy flew three feet back before falling to the ground in an ungraceful heap.

"HOW DARE YOU INFECT THIS PLACE WITH YOUR ABNORMALITY?" Harry attempted to curl into a ball to protect himself as the punches and kicks began to rain down upon him. That action proved ineffective however as the injuries from the night previous thwarted his effort, leaving him vulnerable.

"AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE FOR YOU, YOU DO THIS TO US! YOU TRY TO TURN US INTO ONE OF YOU!" The sound of crunching bones filled Harry's ears as a tremendous bolt of pain shot through his chest and arm, and then everything stopped. No more blows rained down upon his battered body, the silence that enveloped the room was the only thing disturbed as Harry gasped for breath while Vernon continued to loom over him.

The 'Golden' boy couldn't help but notice the glint of pure hatred in his uncle's eyes or the look of satisfaction on his walrus like face. It seemed to the Gryffindor that his uncle enjoyed watching him as he gasped in pain, his blood beginning to pool around him as he lost consciousness.

*SS*

Severus paced the length of the headmaster's office as he waited impatiently for the old wizard to return. The head of Slytherin house was beginning to lose what little patience he had with the old man as the minutes stretched on into what seemed to be hours of nerve-wracking waiting. The potion's master was about to give up and head back down to the dungeons when the fireplace to his right sprang to life with emerald green flames.

"Ah, hello Severus." The headmaster greeted as if seeing the potion's master wearing a hole in his floor was an everyday occurrence. "What can I do for you today?"

"For one you could actually be in your office when you are supposed to." Severus snapped, his voice full of venom. "Secondly you can tell me whether someone has bothered to check on Potter since the end of term." Silence enveloped the room as the ex-death eater stared at the man standing before him. It was evident that the ancient wizard had no response, and if he did have any information, he wasn't going to give it.

"There is no need for anyone to check up on Harry, Severus. I assure you the boy is doing just fine." Dumbledore stated as he made his way to the desk. Severus stared at the old man in silent disbelief. Was he, the most hated teacher of Hogwarts, the only one who had noticed the change of demeanor the young man had when the school year closed? Was he the only one that held those unspeakable feelings of terror, dread, and worry in his chest? Was he really the only one that _cared _whether the Potter child was alive or not?

"How can you be so sure that the boy is fine?" Severus managed to sneer through clenched teeth. "No one has seen if he is aright not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well."

"Severus, there is no need to distract yourself from your work for a child that lives the life of luxury" The headmaster waved off, his statement not sitting well with the man he was addressing. All it did was fuel the anger the younger wizard felt.

"You have no idea what type of life the boy lives." Severus snapped as he balled his hands into fists, "You have no clue what occurs in the lives of your students Albus. You never have and you never will."

*HP*

Pain. That word was an understatement as Harry felt himself coming to. Breathing, let alone blinking, was _excruciating_; moving any part of his body was out of the question. The simplest of movements made his bones and joints feel as if they had been set on fire and left to burn out, while every inch of skin felt as though someone had doused it with a salt solution after making millions of tiny cuts upon its surface.

_Why me? _Harry wondered as he lay broken upon his bedroom floor. _Why does this always happen to me? What did I do to deserve this type of hell? _But no matter how many times he ran those questions through his mind, Harry just couldn't find an answer. And at this point, he no longer cared. He wasn't going to get saved, no one was going to come to his aid and prevent his death. No one cared about him; he was just their face, their reason for being known because they were _his_ friends.

After what seemed like hours of thinking, Harry allowed his mind to go silent, allowing the sounds of the large, heavy footsteps to enter his no longer buzzing mind. _This is it_ Harry thought as the sounds of locks falling to the ground carried to his ears and vibrated the floorboards. _This is the last time anyone will ever see me alive._

*SS*

Anger fueled Severus as he left the headmaster's office and headed toward the Entrance Hall. The young professor found it unbelievable that no one had even checked up on the boy. He was outright disgusted at the fact that the headmaster didn't seem at all concerned with the fact that no one had bothered to pop in and see how the boy was faring after the traumatic events he had witnessed at the end of last term.

The Slytherin knew he should have known better, he should have known that not much had changed since his school days when the headmaster refused to send anyone to check up on him and the other abused children in his house. Severus made quick work of the last set of stairs before the ground floor and, before he knew it, he was out on the sprawling grounds. He was going to do what the headmaster refused to. He was going to check up on Potter, he was going to make sure that the child was okay, even though he despised the boy.

*HP

As his uncle's foot repeatedly collided with his chest, Harry felt several ribs break, causing the battered teen to gasp in utter agony. Soon, fists, feet, and belts rained down upon the broken boy, breaking delicate skin and bones leaving nothing but bruises and blood in their wake. _Why me?_' Harry struggled to think in the haze that was beginning to fill his mind. _'Why does it have to end this way?' _Before long the familiar feeling of blood pooling around his body registered in his mind, convincing him more and more that he was going to die there in that hell hole. As the blows continued to come down, the broken teen willed himself into the fog that had taken over his mind, into the welcome darkness that ended the pain.

*SS*The no apparition wards surrounded a frustratingly large area Severus thought as he made his way down Magnolia Crescent and onto Private Drive. '_A person can die before help arrives_' Severus thought, unknowing how correct he was. With quick steps, the potion's master closed the gap between him and Number 4. With each step he took, a deeper sense of urgency enveloped him as if something deep down inside him knew someone needed his help.

Number 4 Privet Drive was dark and quiet as Severus peered into a window. While the home appeared empty and innocent looking something just didn't seem right. Quietly the dark haired man unlocked the door with a wave of his wand and entered the house. Family photos lined the walls of the entryway and the living room and upon closer inspection only contained a boy that was the size of a small whale, no sign of Harry anywhere.

Severus continued to search the ground floor for several minutes before he came upon the large pool of red liquid in the kitchen. The strong metallic smell the pool gave off made it quite obvious that it was blood, and at that realization Severus's heart stopped. '_That pool of blood could be anyone's'_ he thought, trying to reassure himself. '_But you know it belongs to Potter' _another voice in the back of his head stated. Without hesitation the head of Slytherin house made his way up the staircase, being sure to take in every last detail.

There was no doubt something was wrong as the older man spotted the door with several locks on it. Silently Severus approached the door and quietly opened it with a wave of his wand. The smell that hit the usually emotionless man was over powering, causing him to take a step back before continuing forward. With a muttered _lumos_, the tip of his wand was illuminated, casting a soft light over everything.

Nothing could have prepared the ex-death eater for what he saw: lying in the middle of the room was the small body of the boy, covered with blood, limbs twisted at unnatural angles, his breath coming out in short raspy gasps. _'It's a wonder he's still alive'_ Snape thought as he rushed to the boy's side, examining the damage that had been done. '_So this is why I've been haunted by that feeling'_ he thought as he carefully pulled Harry into his arms before reaching for the emergency portkey he kept for death eater meetings. With three turns of the button they were gone, leaving nothing but a pool of blood as a reminder.

AN: This is the longest chapter so far. I hope you enjoy it, sorry for the long wait.


	4. waking Up

Disclaimer" I don't own Harry Potter

*SS*

Severus' feet hit the hard stone floor of the Hospital Wing with a jolt, shooting a sharp pain up his legs and spine. However, the potion's master paid no mind to his discomfort as he carefully laid the broken and battered lion on the nearest bed and rushed to find Poppy. Severus had no wish to disturb the school nurse, but if he believed he could have healed the boy on his own, he would have.

"Poppy!" Severus called as he swiftly made his way toward the medi-witch's bed chambers that adjoined her office. "Poppy! I need your assistance!" It seemed like forever before the school's nurse rushed out from her quarters in her night clothes.

"Severus, what is it?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she hurried over, hastily tying her robe. As she approached the closer she got the more apparent her lines of worry became. It was obvious she was searching him for any sign of injury or any possible source to explain the reason his black robes where shinning with blood.

"It's Potter, he's been seriously injured." Severus replied, noting the evident tone of panic that mingled with his voice. As soon as those words passed over his lips, the medi-witch rushed passed him, quickly locating the boy and began her work. Severus swiftly joined her, examining the long list that appeared after she cast a quick diagnostic spell.

'_He's far worse than he seems'_ Severus thought as he watched his colleague quickly scan the findings before she began to heal the things that could not be seen. After a few more moments of observation Severus too began to heal the boy, tending to the obviously broken bones.

It took several hours before the boy lying in front of them was once again recognizable. Harry's mangled limbs looked as they should. All of his broken ribs were healed enabling the boy to breathe easier. The internal bleeding caused by the severe beating Harry had taken was stopped and healed. The layer of blood that coated his body and matted his hair had been washed off, leaving nothing but black and blue bruises on the pale skin.

"He's out of danger now, but only time will tell how he fairs." Poppy stated quietly as she stood next to Severus.

"Do you have any idea how long this was happening?" Severus asked as he watched the teen's chest slowly rise and fall with each breath.

"Years, from the looks of it." The medi-witch responded as she glanced at the man beside her. "I just don't know how we didn't notice it before."

"We weren't looking for it. No one wants to believe that the one person who can save the Wizarding world was being beaten by his relatives." Severus stated. "I seriously doubt there were any clear signs before this summer anyway. If there had been an inkling earlier I would most likely have caught on before now, even with my hate towards James."

Silence ensued after the potion's master's last comment leaving only the sound of Harry Potter's breathing echoing throughout the room. It wasn't long until Madame Pomfrey retired back to her chambers after giving the boy one last check, leaving Severus alone with the student. The Professor remained in his spot at the end of the bed, millions of thoughts running through his head as he retraced the night's events. With a hefty sigh he made his way to the closest chair before removing his blood stained frock and taking a seat to watch over the boy.

As he slowly opened his eyes, he was instantly blinded by the morning sun coming in through the window. Severus was surprised, not able to remember when he had fallen asleep at the Gryffindor's bedside. Quickly he pushed himself out of the hard chair and began to examine the boy. Much to the relief of the older man, Harry's condition had not worsened during the night. _'At least he's doing better' _Severus thought as he ran a hand through his hair, _'but what are we going to do with him when he wakes? We can't send him back, he'll be dead before you can scream The Dark Lord has returned.'_ Severus mulled over several options as he stood there and stared at the abused boy. After several long moments of contemplation, there was still no obvious solution to the problem. But one thing was for sure, he, Severus Snape, was not going to allow Harry Potter to go back and relive the torment.

*HP*

He seemed out of place. His body did not hurt and he was now laying on something soft and warm, a stark contrast to the hard floor. But he still could not place himself. He attempted to open his eyes but his lids were too heavy and his mind was too foggy to even begin to contemplate where he could be at. _'Maybe I'm dead'_ Harry thought as he tried to fit the pieces together. But if he was dead then wouldn't his parents be there waiting for him? And where was the magnificent light that was supposed to welcome him?

All there was to welcome him was nothingness. No light, no parents, just darkness. Suddenly, he felt as if he was being pulled in a certain direction, up. Sounds came rushing into his ears, footsteps across tile and then familiar voices conversing in the distance. Slowly he opened his eyes to a blinding white room that he had seen so many times before: the Hospital Wing. Harry attempted to process the events that lead up to the moment, but he had no recollection of how he had made it to Hogwarts.

"It's good to see you awake." came a voice Harry had been accustom to hearing after all of his stays in the school's infirmary. "For a moment we thought you would never come around." Gradually Madam Pomfrey came into view as she carried a tray of what he assumed to be his potions. Harry felt himself cringe as his glasses were placed on his face, earning him a sympathetic look from the nurse. Severus should be delighted to hear that you are awake." Poppy stated as she handed Harry his potions.

"Snape?" Harry questioned fearfully, if the man saw how bad off he had been, it would have only provided him with more fuel to use for further insults.

"He's been very concerned about your condition since he appeared with you almost a week ago." Madame Pomfrey answered as she fixed her patient stare upon the boy in front of her. "He's been in here every day since you came in, asking questions, staying by your side, keeping the headmaster at bay." the teenager found himself beginning to shake as everything started sinking in.

Snape had saved him that night, the older man had healed him and since then had been watching over him.

It seemed all too surreal. Why would he do that? After all, didn't the man hate him?

"That can't be true." Harry stated with disbelief. "He hates me, he truly, utterly hates me."

"Mr. Potter have you ever considered that Professor Snape simply prefers to not be too open with his emotions?" Madame Pomfrey commented as she cast a diagnostic spell over the befuddled teen. "Why don't you rest now dear? You're still healing from your injuries and some more rest would be beneficial to your recovery."

SS

The sound of reverberating footsteps met Severus' ears as he briskly made his way back to the Hospital Wing. In the one week he had been there with the boy, there had been little improvement. Sure the child was healing after being beaten within an inch of his life, but he was no closer to waking up as he, Severus, was to finding a wife. But none of that mattered at the moment. What truly mattered in his mind was keeping the headmaster from getting his greedy paws on the boy. Then again Albus had never been one to care about others, considering all he truly cared about was winning the fight against Voldemort no matter how many innocent men, women, and children got in the way.

Severus continued his musings right up to the Hospital Wing door where he sighed and gingerly pushed it open and entered. Based on what he had observed in the past week with the boy, he believed that it would be nothing more than another day sitting at the bedside of the unconscious teen. Instead, he found the boy to be awake and alert, much to his relief. Not that he would ever let that show.

"It's good to see you are with us Mr. Potter." Severus stated as he gazed down at the boy, who seemed to be startled at his presence. "Thought I would have to tell your godfather you became a vegetable." Severus knew his last comment was less than appropriate, but he wanted to insure that there had been no shift, that the boy could see, about him and his behavior. Nevertheless, as the pain of the insults sank into the boy's groggy mind and radiated out onto his features, the tight feeling in Severus' chest began to throb painfully. _'Why does that keep happening?'_

HP

Harry felt hurt by the professor's words. It seemed as if his theory was right, everyone was just like the Dursleys. They were always there to hurt him, never to help. They didn't particularly care how badly he got injured as long as he did what they wanted and they were happy with the end result.

As his professor continued to loom over him, he drew himself closer in order to protect himself for when the blows, emotional or physical, began to rain down upon him. But nothing came, instead the older man stood at the edge of the bed with a peculiar look upon his face as if he was debating with himself or thinking something out.

"Mr. Potter it has come to our attention that you have been mistreated by your relatives." Snape continued as if his first remark had never occurred. "And due to the severity of the situation, you will not be permitted to return this summer. However, you will be expected to return at the end of the school year."

Harry felt as if someone had told him he was going to die. The joy that had accumulated at the thought of not returning burst, incinerating his organs, or so it felt like. His body began to tremble at the thought of encountering his uncle in only a year's time. The man had never been pleasant when he was younger, and he had only gotten worse over the years. _'Why does this always happen to me? Always! No matter what I do, I always end up with the short end of the stick.'_ It wasn't long before tears began to slide down his bruised face, but he didn't care. He didn't care if he was being weak, he didn't care if no one wanted him, and he sure the hell didn't care that he had an audience as all this occurred.

SS

Severus watched as his student began to tremble and tears trickled down his bruised face. As he absorbed the scene in front of him, the throbbing in his chest grew painfully. Without thinking, he moved to the boy's bedside and sat down before pulling the teen into his arms. Harry tensed at first, but relaxed as Severus began to comb his fingers through his soft messy hair.

"Everything will be fine, Harry." Severus whispered softly into the Gryffindor's ear, all normal malice gone only to be replaced with kindness and warmth. "If I have my way, you won't go back to those people. I promise." Harry responded with a nod, but did not motion to be released, so Severus stayed there with Harry's head resting on his shoulder while the rest of his body was practically in his lap. _'There's no point in being cruel to the boy now is there? I mean after all he's been through enough to make even more experienced wizards go mad. What's the harm in being the one person he can count on?'_


	5. Confusion

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry potter and co.

*SS*

It seemed like hours before the tears had ceased to flow and the trembling stopped, but Severus wasn't complaining. How could he? He wasn't the one that was forced to suffer unimaginable pain after witnessing something he would not force upon his worst enemy.

In fact, if anyone had the right to complain, it was the child that remained firmly seated in his arms, holding on to him for dear life. Severus's long slim fingers where now moving automatically through the mess of black silk that was Harry's hair as he attempted to get the boys breathing to even out and it wasn't long until the firm grip on his shirt slackened as the Gryffindor gave way to exhaustion.

Severus remained still for several more moments before he carefully stood with the sleeping child still in his arms and gingerly placed him in his bed before pulling the blankets over the child's frail form, carefully tucking the warm blankets loosely around his body.

"I never thought I would ever see you being kind to that child Severus" Poppy's echoed through the room, startling him. He had forgotten that there was someone else present in the room.

"There is a first time for everything Poppy." Severus replied as he glanced down at the boy before turning to face the school nurse. "When do you think you will be releasing him?  
>"In about a weeks' time." The medi-witch replied as she gave the man in front of her a questionable look before allowing a small smirk to grace her lips before continuing. "His body is still fairly weak after the trauma he endured. And I need to monitor his progress to make sure the broken bones are healing as they should and I need to keep an eye out for any possible infection that may be the result of his injuries."<br>Severus nodded; fearing if he spoke his voice would have portrayed the disappointment that he felt. He didn't want the boy anywhere the headmaster could reach him easily, because that could, and most likely would, lead to more pain and suffering with everyone involved. After all Albus Dumbledore did most things in order to please him and not others. However, Severus seemed to have no choice in the matter and he was not going to fight with the medi-witch over it. Considering the fact that she had the power to banish him from seeing Harry and that would only be counterproductive. After all he was trying to gain the boys trust, he wanted to become the one person Harry could lean on, and not being allowed in to visit would get that plan nowhere since in order to gain the trust of another you have to be there to build the crucial bond to form it. With another nod, Severus announced his departure and with one last glance at Harry, he left the hospital wing, a flurry of black robes behind him.

_XX_

Severus was lost in his thoughts as he silently made his way down to his quarters. He had never imagined that Lily's family would treat Harry in such a deplorable manner. Especially since Petunia had cared so much for her younger sister. Then again, time had the habit of always changing people and the way they acted and he supposed Petunia Dursley was no exception to the rule. No one was. Even he, the bat of the dungeons, had been altered by the time had spent as a teacher and by what he had witnessed as a death eater. Though he had to admit, what he had seen with Harry had unnerved him greatly. The man who had seen murder and torture was disturbed by the Gryffindor's actions, but He had no clear idea why. All he knew was it had to be connected to the feeling in his chest, the one that had lead him to the boy in the first place.

Maybe it was the fact it seemed so strange to see the boy so disengaged that created it, or maybe it was just the underlying feeling that had been building up for years. But what every it was, he had no idea what had caused. He was too tired to question it, or to do anything else with it. The episode in the hospital wing had just left him . . . Annoyed, drained, confused, and completely out of his element. The fact that Potter . . . or rather Harry had thrown his arms around him in an attempt for some sort of comfort, made him feel off. There had only been one person who did that, but that was so long ago, way before Lucius had instilled in him that showing affection was a sign of weakness.

Sighing, Severus shut the door behind him as he kicked off his boots and hung his cloak before heading to his bedroom. It was still plenty early, but he was tired, and staying up would accomplish nothing more than over thinking and excessive drinking that would definitely be a mark under the unfit guardian column. He didn't know why he was thinking like this, maybe he was trying to make up for failing before, or . . . Hell he just did not know. \

With a deep breath, Severus pushed open the creaky bedroom door and illuminated the torched with a wave of his hand. He would have all summer to figure this out; right now he just needed to collect himself.


End file.
